Food on a stick......dipped, battered, and fried.....

Every year, usually the 1st couple of weeks in October, the state fair comes to town.  I LOVE THE FAIR!!! My mom tells me that she walked around the fair 2 days before I was born just to get her labor going.....I keep going back every year!!!     

I remember as a child my dad loading us all up to go to the fair....walking around, riding rides, and going to the rodeo.   Then later as teens he would take a bunch of us and drop us off to enjoy the fair with our friends (unfortunately you can't do that these days).

 Then when I moved Sarah and myself back to here from CA I would bundle her up and off we would go to ride the rides and take in the fun stuff.  Life at the fair became even better after I met sweet hubby.  Sweet hubby had connections.......you know, the best kind of connections......food on a stick connections  (friends who owned concession stands at the fair).  I mean hey, that is what the fair is all about isn't it ....that food on a stick kind of thing!!!   And, here lately it is anything that can be battered, dipped and fried on a stick....oreos, snickers, twinkies, potatoes, gator, you name it and they can put it on a stick and fry it. 

Over the years our traditional of going to the fair and getting food on a stick has continued.  Sweet hubby and I spent years taking Sarah and Josh to the fair and now we are enjoying taking Caleb to the fair.  When Sarah went away to college at BYU she missed out on going to the fair with us, but sweet hubby fixed her up with a taste of the fair......sweet hubby bought a four pack of homemade cinnamon rolls (Sarah's favorite thing from the fair) and he then took this package and OVERNIGHTED it to her at BYU!!!!  Those were the most EXPENSIVE cinnamon rolls ever but Sarah LOVED getting them.   She has missed many years of the fair since but we think of her as we walk past the cinnamon roll booth.   One of my favorite years was when the fair came right after getting my braces off after several years......I told sweet hubby the first thing I wanted was corn on the cob (on a stick!!)..   It was sooo good!!!   Sweet hubby has a great love for that apple dip in caramel on a stick!

Caleb isn't much on cinnamon rolls or the other food on a stick but he loves the rides and getting a slice of pizza at the fair.  Sweet hubby and I took Caleb on Thursday evening and met up with my Kristen, Bailey, Bryan, and my 2 brothers for an evening of riding the rides.

On Friday morning, my sister and I took the kids back (for kiddie day)

so we could see the exhibits and animals.   Lots of fun both times.

I had to use my iphone for pictures since the battery was dead on the camera!!! 



Sweet hubby and Caleb eating nachos





Caleb getting ready for the kiddie bungie jump!





Caleb and Kristen looking at the fish exhibit.



Caleb loved the petting zoo.

It is so hard to believe the fair will run it's course this weekend and we will have to wait another year to see what new food on a stick item that can be dipped, battered and fried up for the many who will come out to consume it.....yum, yum......
For now the doctor is out.......wondering if she can come up with a great "food on a stick" to sell at the fair next year and make her millons in the process.....ummmm, any suggestions??????

Trouble and Double Trouble

We met when we were 13 going on 14....at a church swim party.  She had just moved to Arkansas from Texas.  She went to school in the LR district; I went to school in Pulaski County.  She lived in a very nice subdivision; I lived in the country.   At the time the only thing we had in common was the fact that we went to the same church.   We hit it off from the very beginning and became fast best friends.  We were always together and always up to something.  One Sunday we walked into our building together and a dear sweet man was standing at the end of the hall as we came down.  He shook his head and smiled at us then said, "Here comes trouble and double trouble."   I will let you guess as to who is trouble and who is double trouble!!!
We spent the next four years doing everything together; planning our dates together; what we would wear to the next dance; getting our driver's license; planning our 1st semester at BYU; and just planning our lives out.   We shared everything -- laughter and tears; celebrations and heartbreaks; if you saw one you saw the other -- we were always together.




Michele and Connie
ready for a 50's church dance

If you drew a line in the sand, we always crossed it, but not so far that we couldn't get back (we both have daughters who would never try to cross the line -- we laugh about this).  We were adventurous; we were inquisitive; and most of all we thought we could conquer the world just because we were us.




Gone with the Wind spoof
during intermission at a church dance

She was there for me when my dad was severely hurt in a motocycle accident;  she was my friend when I couldn't spend money at the mall but she could;  she was my sewing buddy as we planned our outfits for special times (dances, youth conferences, etc);   She was there for me as I cried my tears when my high school sweetheart dumped me during that 1st semester at BYU.  I was there for her when relationships ended for her as well.    She was there with me as we celebrated my engagement and I with her as we celebrated her engagement.  She was there with me when I felt the first kick of the sweet baby I was carrying and we celebrated with hugs and tears.  

She was on her to the temple the day I got married, but didn't make it due to a minor accident.  I was planning my trip to the temple when she got married, but didn't make it since that sweet baby I was carrying was trying to come too early.

She came to California and then to Arkansas to visit me.  I went to Utah and later Texas to visit her. 

She called me a couple of days after my sweet baby was born --- and we talked, cried, and celebrated even though there was a time difference and it was very late for me.     She later let me cry on her shoulder when my marriage fell apart.  She cheered me on and then we celebrated the birth of her first child.

We raised our children with letters back and forth; then email back and forth; and a few visits between Arkansas and Texas.   We both ended up with older children and a much younger child.  In fact our little boys are only 6 months apart and we share the joys of being an older mom and the trials that come with it.  We watched our boys play together in a Texas backyard while we chatted about the universe and all that we wanted to accomplish and all that we did accomplish.

Our kids have asked us about our teen years but we don't tell.  We could never tell that our church leader walked into the church kitchen one Wednesday evening to find us dancing.....on top of the kitchen counters....no, we won't tell that.  Or, we won't share with them the time we locked a church leader out of her own car (while we were in it) and then the church leader actually climbed on top of said car....umm, maybe we will keep that one to ourselves;  most likely we will never tell that after Sunday school and before Sacrament meeting, we would take my little Honda car and drive to Burns park for the afternoon.  Not much to tell on this one, oh, except that I had a driver's license and she didn't; but I taught her to drive the 4 speed Honda while we spent the afternoon in Burns park....I think we need to keep that to ourselves. 

No matter how many years go by before we see each other again, we pick right up and we are us again.  Our friendship began 37 years ago and it is as strong today as it was back then.   We are trouble and double trouble.....we are us.

We were 2 southern belles.......

who grew up to be 2 southern moms.....



Connie & Michele -- 2010



For now the doctor is out.....planning a reunion for trouble and double trouble

plus a couple of other girlfriends who helped with the trouble.....

Utah on a Prayer

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE to travel!!  BUT, when I travel I usually know several months in advance that I will be traveling and I have time to prepare for it.  Not so on this trip.....

About 3.5 weeks ago my daughter, Sarah, came to me and said that she had been fasting and praying about what she should be doing at this point in her life (instead of living at home with parents - actually there is another story to this!).  She moved here from NYC last year to re-charge her batteries after a very stressful time there with her job.  We loved having her here but I knew that after several months she was not happy here.  She needed more in her life.  She needed to be able to go forward with her career and those opportunities didn't exist here (she applied for tons of jobs in and out of her field with no response!).  So back on track.....she came to me with the following conversation (paraphrased since I don't have perfect memory!):

S:  Mom, I have been fasting and praying about what to do.

Me: Ok, so what answer did you get?

S:  I need to move to Utah.

Me: Wow, ok, that sounds good.  Umm, what will you do in Utah?

S:  I don't really know.  But, I need to be there by General Conference weekend.

Me: That is in like 3 weeks.   I don't know if we can do that but we will certainly do everything we can to make it happen.  You know, I have to present a paper at a conference in N.O. the week before conference don't you?    Now, how do we tell sweet hubby about this?????

Sweet hubby's response:  That sounds like a plan but we will all go out there with you.  I would rather not have you drive that far by yourself.... (I guess he has forgotten that she has driven that road many times by herself!). 

So within 3.5 weeks she applied for a couple of jobs and secured housing -- after a struggle to get into the right place.   We started packing her up -- again, not knowing how we were going to pull this off since it definitely wasn't in our budget for the month to rent u-hauls and car pullers!   But decided that we must all trust that if this is what the Lord wanted then He would provide the way for it to happen.

Sweet hubby came up with a way to move her things cost efficiently and we all decided to allow her to use my SUV for the time being (she doesn't own a car since she didn't need one in NYC).   We knew going out it would be a fast trip -- no frills, no extra spending, just the essentials!!!   Not exactly my kind of trip but hey, I can make sacrifices for my daughter!!!

So here are a few of the pictures of us moving Sarah to Utah --- I call it Beverly Hills style without the rocking chair on top!!!



All loaded down with Sarah's STUFF!!!!



Including her bike!!!



Adding the address to the Countess (gpa)



The Doctor working.....thank goodness for mobile internet and cell phones!!

 


Caleb settling into the truck for a very LONG drive!! 
Blanket - check, Pillow - check, Stuffed Animals - Check
We are OFF!!!

We had a great trip going out there for the most part.  Caleb did get altitude sickness as we went through the Colorado mountains.  He started out so excited to see the mountains and talking about where I go skiing and then crash.....he was sick!!!  But once we were out of the mountains he perked up again and had a great time.

As we are traveling towards Utah on Saturday, sweet hubby recieved a phone call from a missionary couple who used to be here in LR (in our ward).  They just found out we were coming out and invited us to stay the night at thier home.  Again, the Lord provides when we have faith.  It worked out beautifully for us and we so enjoyed getting to see them again as well as meet some of their children and grandchildren.




Caleb with the Kolterman's

Later we dropped Sarah off at her new condo (and about 6 people came over to help unload the truck).

We left out of LR on Friday morning but on Thursday morning Sarah got a phone call about one of the positions she had applied for in UT.  They needed to interview her on Monday!!!   Monday was the LAST day for interviews!!!!   We made it and she went to her interview on Monday then afterwards we all went to IKEA in Draper to get some things for her condo.  I LOVE IKEA!!!  I want to buy, buy, buy when I go there but sweet hubby pulled in the reins and reminded me that this trip wasn't about me but about getting Sarah settled there.  So, I didn't get anything special for  me from IKEA but we did get some neat things for Sarah and that was a lot of fun!!!

Caleb enjoying a cinnamon roll at IKEA...



My beautiful daughter, Sarah, enjoying frozen yogurt at IKEA





Sweet hubby showing me we spent all of his money....so not true.....he has hides his money!!




Sweet hubby and Caleb putting IKEA furniture together




Caleb loves getting to use the power tools....just like dad!!!




One very tired little boy....fell asleep on the super pillow.

Our plan was to leave Utah on Monday afternoon but after the trip to IKEA we decided to sleep at Sarah's condo and leave early Tuesday.  Needless to say it was a very rushed trip but we had a great time and we are looking forward to many more visits with Sarah in her new home.   By the way, she got the job!!!  After interviewing on Monday, they called her on Tuesday and offered her the position......now she is back in the game and loving it!!!


For now, the doctor is out......planning her next trip to Utah.....thinking maybe she should go when there is snow on the mountains so she can slip some skiing in while there....ummm, yeah, that sounds good!!!